Heat
by PearLynn
Summary: For Zutara Secret Santa. Katara and Zuko in a cave after the confrontation of Yon Rha in "The Southern Raiders".


Disclaimer: I do not own.

This is for Zutara Secret Santa! This story is for the ever lovely HuskiBunni! So all of you, enjoy! And HuskiBunni, I hope you enjoy this the most!

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"We're not going to be able to fly out in this storm. We should stop and find some shelter."

Wordlessly, Katara nodded. Her arms were still wrapped around her middle, the same way they had been when she retreated away from that beaten path and stomped back to the direction Appa's hiding spot had been. She let the rain soak through her without bending it away, even as it picked up and pelted her like needles, blurring her vision. Or was that her tears doing that to her? Either way, her path was guided by a warm hand on her arm, it's heat permeating through the soaked fabric of her black shirt and leaving shivers in it's wake every time it moved against her shoulder blades. It had guided her into a forest, with trees sparsely spread enough to let the rain continuously pour down onto her.

"There's a cave over here," Zuko said after they had hiked in the woods and up the side of the mountain that was in the center of the island. "Let's go here until the storm lets up."

He walked in front of her now, guiding her along the way and up the hill to the hole in the side of the cliff he had just pointed to. She could see his black hair plastered to his head due to the rain, as well as the sinewy outline of his back through his soaked shirt. He had come all this way with her, followed her, led her, stood by her side on this journey only for it to turn up short and for her to fail. He had no reason to be civilly leading her to shelter from the rain, not after coming on this trip for nothing. They were leaving empty-handed.

Zuko stepped into the cave first and pushed his hair out of his eyes, turning to watch as Katara followed him in. She walked past him without a word and went to the back of the cave, which was only about ten feet away from where he had been standing. Instead of inquiring about her well-being, he lifted his black outer shirt over his head and rung it out. Water spilled out onto the floor and he tossed it away, letting it slap against the rocky floor before he took his tunic and did the same. He pulled it back over his head once the majority of water was gone and began ringing out his hair.

While doing so, he turned his eyes towards Katara, who was still standing at the end of the cave, back to him. He knew it wouldn't be a good time to speak to her, not after seeing her almost kill Yon Rha. It was chilling seeing the extent of her powers. He knew she was strong and a skilled bender, but after seeing her wrath on a different side it scared him beyond belief. He was thankful he was no longer her enemy, or he'd be doomed.

And even though he knew it wouldn't be smart to talk to her at that moment, his concern for her outweighed his desire to be on her good side.

"Katara?"

She turned her head slightly, just so the tip of her nose was visible to him. Her hair was pressed to her head and her clothes were dripping puddles at her feet, clinging to the lithe curves of her body. She was visibly shivering, but she made no attempt to bend the water out of her clothes or her hair. She looked so small, huddled in on herself and soaked to the bone.

He walked over to her and attempted to get her to look in his eyes, but she kept her gaze on the ground. Her cheeks were red and covered in wetness and her hair stuck against her forehead and sides of her face. He could see her eyes were rimmed with red, and he didn't have to question why. Instead of saying another word, he took the hair that was pressed to her shoulder and back of her neck and began gently ringing the water out.

She didn't even flinch when he pulled out her hair tie and started tugging on the knots, then loosely braiding it down her back. His fingers clumsily, but successfully, tied it again and then he walked around to face her. She looked up to him with appreciation before she uncrossed her arms and dragged them along her body, taking all of the water with them and tossing it towards the outside of the cave.

She looked up to him and gave him a small smile before murmuring, "Thank you."

Zuko simply shrugged and replied, "It's nothing. You looked cold and I wanted to help-"

"No," she whispered as she shook her head. "For coming with me."

The look on his face was a mixture of confusion and shock to her eyes, and she had the small urge to giggle at the pure perplexment in his expression. Instead, she motioned her hands over his body, dragging out whatever water was left in his clothes and tossed it out like she had done with hers. Now they were both standing face-to-face, completely dry, in a dank cave waiting for the storm to pass.

Zuko shook his head, scattering some stray beads of water as he did, and peaked at her through the shag of his bangs. "It was nothing... I knew you needed to do this."

"Even though I didn't go through with it," she mumbled to herself, looking away from him in shame.

"That isn't what matters, Katara," he said. She glanced up at him, feeling her lip wobble with the onset of tears and he gave her one of his small and rare smiles. "Even though you didn't kill him, I think you still accomplished what you needed."

"What do you mean?" she asked in a small voice as she felt her shoulders curl in towards her body again.

"You got closure," he replied. "And you were able to stand up to the man who killed your mother and be a better person by letting him live. I know that if I ever had that chance with the man who took away my mother, I wouldn't have been so noble."

"It wasn't noble," she spat bitterly, glaring at a boulder to her left. "It was weak of me to spare him... He didn't deserve my mercy."

Zuko leaned down so he could look her in the eyes and said gently, "Listen to me, you weren't weak. That's the strongest I've ever seen you. It was the best decision for you to do, because I know deep down you would have regretted taking his life from the second you did it until the day you died. You're not the kind of person to be able to kill without remorse, Katara. This I know."

Katara peaked up at him through her eyelashes and blinked a few times before gripping her arms and hugging herself. "You're wrong..."

"No, _you _are," Zuko insisted, putting his hands on her shoulders and squeezing them slightly. She could feel their warmth seep through the fabric of her shirt again and she involuntarily shuddered under his grip. "Trust me when I say you are the most selfless, courageous, and strong-willed person I've ever met. Yeah, you're stubborn and a pain in the ass sometimes-"

"Hey!"

"-but I can assure you that you are _not _weak by sparring a horrible man's life."

She paused and stared up at him, her nose pointed directly at his face. She felt the deep desire to argue against his opinion, to shout and fight with him until her heart gave out from the despair she was feeling so heavily. She knew it was wrong to pin all of her anger and frustration on him at the moment and rest all of her hatred about this entire situation on his shoulders. And she knew it was wrong to continue blaming him for things that weren't his fault, as well as hold a grudge about the things that were.

Hearing him make these positive assertions about her cracked her stubborn resolve, more so than it already had been since fleeing the beaten path where Yon Rha had been kneeling. And seeing the sincerity in his eyes reminded her of the fact that he has truly been here for her all along, even before this journey, and was willing to pay penance for his actions against her before. Zuko was insistent on helping her heal, on aiding Team Avatar in ending the war. Her insistence on his guilt was ringing her dry, tearing at her soul with every insult, every snide remark, or forceful waterwhip during their sparring sessions. He didn't deserve this.

Zuko must have sensed her inner struggle, because silently he gripped her shoulders again and smiled warmly to her. "Katara, I know this is hard. But I think in time you'll see that you made the right decision. Because I think you did."

Katara felt her resolve crumble and more tears began falling down her cheeks. Zuko's hands moved from her shoulders to cup her face, his thumbs now dragging her tears away before they fell to her chin. He continued to dry her cheeks for what seemed like ages, the only sounds breaking through the quiet being the rain pelting outside and her shuddering breaths. Katara was tempted to push him away, to go crawl into the darkest corner of the cave and curl her body into a ball. But with his warm hands against her face and the reassuring way he held her made her believe that he was truly going to be there for her, regardless of the outcome of the trip.

Her tears began to slow and Zuko felt elated that he was successful in helping calm her down. She sniffed and brought her hand up to her face to wipe away the last of her tears with the inside of her wrist. He felt the compelling need to pull her into a hug at that moment, but their fragile alliance was up in the air already and taking advantage of her vulnerability could crack whatever trust he managed to rebuild with her.

But before he could speak again, Katara wrapped her arms around his middle and pressed her cheek against the center of his chest. Zuko felt his heart jump at the unexpected contact and secretly hoped she didn't notice now that her face was so close. Swallowing thickly, he gingerly put his arms around her shoulders and pulled her a little bit closer to him. His breath ghosted against the top of her head and when he inhaled shakily, he could detect the faint smell of her citrus shampoo, washed away by sweat and rain.

"Thank you," she mumbled against his collarbone.

"It's nothing really," he said softly as he began rubbing soothing circles in between her shoulder blades. They remained this way for what felt like hours to Zuko, but honestly couldn't have been more than ten minutes. With her being in his embrace, willingly and on her own accord, was making Zuko lose track of everything around him. He was feeling as if he had successfully broken down the barriers she erected. He might have finally gotten her to trust him, after all this time.

Katara shifted in his grip and tilted her chin up, her lips now close to the hollow of Zuko's throat. She exhaled and he stilled in her arms, practically freezing in his spot. She hadn't intended on moving to such a more... intimate position. But feeling the comfort of Zuko's muscled arms, his warmth permeating through her clothes and seeping all the way through her. It was so different than any hug she had gotten from any other person, not even Aang or her Gran-Gran. It was something different entirely, but amazing in it's own right. It felt like he knew exactly how to hold her, even though he had never held her in any manner before this moment.

Something deep in her belly told her to move again, possibly to pull him closer. On instinct, her arms tightened and Zuko's body got as close as it could be in their position. Her nose pressed against the underside of his jaw and her lips now were feathering touches against the smooth skin of his throat. He swallowed and his Adam's apple bobbed under her mouth, then he slowly closed his arms around her. Katara felt her heart leap into her throat when his chin tilted down and the soft pressure of his lips appeared on the crown of her head. She had no idea what was happening, or why she felt so comfortable with it. Wasn't it just a day or two ago that she was shouting at him and wishing he would just jump into the raging ocean behind her to rid the group of his unnecessary presence? Now she was in his arms, lips against his skin and a warmth pooling inside of her that made her believe that there never was any distrust between them.

Zuko took a leap of faith and moved his arms a little lower, one hand cradling the small of her back and the other still palming the area in between her shoulder blades. When her lips found his neck, he felt himself startle like a rabbit-deer and freeze in her grip, much like the awkward teenager he considered himself to be in this situation. Here he was with a beautiful and fearsome girl, who until very recently had hated him, and was feeling the urge to capture her full lips in a heated kiss that would probably turn the rain outside into steam. He didn't know what was coming over him. Perhaps it was the close proximity, or the subconscious desire to love a woman as wonderful as her. But he knew that right now was possibly his only chance to act on it.

His hands slowly began roaming her torso, feeling every curve and tensing muscle beneath the fabric. Her breathing picked up and tickled his neck, her own hands fanning out on his back and then gripping his tunic as his hands reached her hipbones. A gasp escaped her lips when he pulled his head away from her and leaned down, lips brushing against the shell of her ear and hot breath traveling down her neck. It didn't take long for their lips to meet, a hesitant and clumsy mashing of mouths that eventually turned into a comfortable rhythm. Zuko's hands moved upward, now cupping her face again but now it was in a more passionate manner rather than comforting. Katara's were still gripping the back of his shirt to keep herself grounded.

Zuko's lips were relenting and surprisingly soft, save the chapped skin the center of his bottom lip. He certainly knew what he was doing to this extent, but his wondering hands were not doing enough for her. Katara felt her blood practically begging for more. And it jumped even more when his tongue tickled her lower lip and his teeth began nibbling it as well. The sensation was nothing she had ever experienced before, more fervent than the other kisses she had experienced. Not that she had a vast amount of instances she could compare this to, but she could say this was the most magnificent thing she had ever felt. A soft moan escaped her throat and it caused Zuko to freeze again.

His heart hammered in his chest as he pulled away slowly, eyes connecting with hers. They were practically simmering, lidded and dark as she stared back at him. They were both panting, arms clutching each other like their lives depended on it. He had no idea how this happened, or why. But the way his stomach flipped and the blood drained from his head, Zuko knew this wasn't some mistake or misunderstanding. This was trouble, and he knew it.

"I... we..." he started, feeling his cheeks warm and his throat constrict.

Katara glanced away, her mocha skin tinted rouge and her eyes downcast, as she slowly slid her hands away from his neck and shoulders down to rest on his chest. "We shouldn't..." Her eyes darted back to his and she stopped. Her mouth was open, like she was lost in thought as she looked into his eyes. "We..."

Zuko felt his hands slide to rest on the curve of her waist, thumbs absently rubbing circles against the fabric. "We... shouldn't have done that..."

He saw the shame fill her eyes as she nodded once and removed her hands from him and stepped away, causing his hands to hang in the air where she had been. She wrapped her arms around herself and looked away again before she whispered, "Yeah... right."

Deep down, Katara wished he had said _'we shouldn't have stopped', _because she didn't want to. Her insatiable need, so sudden and now in the forefront of her mind, had her buzzing with energy. Her blood was thrumming with desire, practically on fire from his phantom touches. She couldn't believe what her body was doing and she was almost tempted to deny what it was doing to her. Was it really just that morning that she was seething with rage and never believing that Zuko could ever redeem himself in her eyes? Now she was wishing his hands were on her again, and his lips pressed against hers once more. _  
_

She glanced outside and saw that the rain had let up, and suddenly felt the need to run out and get back to everyone as soon as possible and forget about this entire trip. Just as she turned on her heel and went to walk out of their shelter and head back to Appa, Zuko's hand closed around her wrist and tugged her back into his chest.

His forehead was pressed against hers and felt the anticipation jolt through him like lightning. He said they should stop, but he knew he could never forget it happen. He knew that he would dream of that moment for weeks or months to come, because it was so different than anything else he ever had felt before. He had to do it again.

"But I never said I didn't want to," he murmured before he captured her lips in another heated kiss.

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_**A/N **Merry Christmas!_

_I think this will lead into my next story, guys..._

_HuskiBunni had the prompts of:_

_1. Turtleducks  
2. Sokka and Toph attempt to be matchmakers  
3. Tea brewing [where Zuko is teaching Katara]  
4. Caves  
5. Zutara through the eyes of Appa_

_And I obviously picked the prompt "Caves". Enjoy, babies!_


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